Ruth Durán

Postdoc Researcher
Department
Extension
445598
Office
B-38

The main goal of my research is the study of the geomorphology, sediment dynamics and recent evolution of continental margins and coastal environments. For this end, I use state-of-the-art remote coastal and seafloor exploration instruments and analytical techniques (e.g. airbone LIDAR, swath bathymetry, side scan sonar, seismic reflection profiling, ROV, AUV, seabed sampling, geomorphometry, GIS).
More specifically, I focus my research on the short-term (years to decades) morphological evolution of coastal systems with the aim of improving our current knowledge of morphodynamical processes and providing useful information to predict how they will respond to sea level rise associated with Climate Change. I study the geomorphological processes and bottom sediment dynamics on continental shelves, with special emphasis on the formation, evolution and present day activity of bedforms. I work on the recent evolution (Quaternary) of continental margins, with particular attention given to the causes of the high variability on the shelf growth patterns. Currently, my research is also focused on the quantitative characterization of the contribution of deep-sea bottom trawling activities on the seafloor morphology over a range of spatial scales, from fine (m–dam) to mesoscale (5–100 km).